1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to building construction components and, more particularly, to a flexible control joint for walls of dissimilar construction which facilitates the application of different thicknesses of plaster or similar material to the walls.
2. Description of the Invention Background
Plaster, cement and stucco-type building materials have been employed in the construction of walls for residential and commercial buildings for many years to achieve a variety of different designs and wall textures. Various methods and application techniques exist for applying such materials to walls and other structures. One such method that is commonly employed involves attaching lath material to a wall frame constructed from wood or metal studs. The lath material serves to stabilize the plaster while it is in its flowable state prior to drying. Similar approaches are also commonly employed when the underlying structure is fabricated from, for example, concrete or concrete blocks. The lath material is applied to the wall surface (exterior or interior—what ever the case may be) and then the plaster material is applied to the lath. In other applications, however, the plaster is applied directly to sheathing or wallboard material.
In multistory applications wherein the wall structures of one story differ in construction from the walls structures of an adjacent story, the walls of one structure may move relative to the walls of the adjacent structure at different rates due to differences in the thermal expansion and contraction characteristics of the underlying materials. Plaster material is often applied to such wall structures and control joint members are applied along the edges of the wall structures to form screed walls for the plaster which protect the otherwise exposed ends of the plaster. Flexible control joints have been developed to span between the dissimilar wall structures and serve to form screed walls of identical heights which accommodate amounts of plaster materials that have the same thicknesses on each wall structure.
In many applications, however, it is desirable to apply the plaster material in different thicknesses to distinguish between the stories and create desired aesthetic appearances and effects. For example, it may be desirable to apply a coat of plaster material to the lower story wall and a thicker coat of plaster to the upper story wall. Prior control joint arrangements, however, cannot accommodate different thicknesses of plaster on opposing sides of the joint.
Thus, there is a need for a flexible control joint that will form screed edges to accommodate adjoining plaster materials that may have different thicknesses and that is flexible to accommodate movement (due to expansion and contraction) of the of the adjoining wall structures which may be of dissimilar construction.